Sunday, 5 May 2013

Special Report: “Nigeria Is A Death Theatre”------Intersociety

January to April
2013 remain the darkest periods in the history of Nigeria outside the full
blown war and violence such as the 2011 post election violence in nine northern
Nigerian States and the 2009 military action against the Boko Haram violent
Islamist insurgents and the latter’s retaliated killings in some northern parts
of Nigeria as well as the Jos killings of 2001 and

2007.

An investigative
finding by the leadership of International Society for Civil
Liberties & the Rule of Law shows
that over 1000 citizens were murdered in Nigeria between January 1 and April
30, 2013.

Their killings
were traced to the doorsteps of both lawfully and unlawfully armed malicious
elements within and outside the country’s security forces including the
malicious personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, Joint Military Task Forces,
Multi-national Joint Task Force, militant ethno-religious zealots such as Boko
Haram/Ansaru armed Islamists, malicious elements at the center of Jos killings
and other criminal elements such as deadly politicians and resurged armed Niger
Delta militants.

The
citizen-victims of these killings include serving members of the Nigerian
security forces, militant elements within the Boko Haram and the Ansaru
Islamist movements, civil politics practitioners, crime suspects and innocent
detainees who were non-violently taken into police custodies, but later killed extra-judicially.
The over 1000 murder casualty figures will be grossly under-calculated if the
unreported cases arising from vigilante killings across the country, police
pretrial killings, secret killings by armed Islamist and ethnic groups
operating in North-central, North-east and North-west zones of Nigeria, resurged
Niger Delta militants as well as killings arising from armed robbery,
kidnapping, ritual deaths, civil homicides and road accidents, are added.

If attempts are
made to capture all these, then it may most likely be correct to estimate them
in the neighborhood of over 4000 murdered deaths since January 2013. For instance,
in the past one year in Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, it was officially
reported by the State Police Command that a total of 270 civilians and 32
police personnel were murdered during the violent criminals’ onslaughts in the
State.

Similarly, in
four months, that is to say between January and April 2013, over 300 Nigerian
citizens were killed in road accidents across the country. For instance, on 27th day of January, 2013, 22 citizens died at Nkpor,
near Onitsha, Anambra State, Southeast, Nigeria in a fatal road accident. The
number of those who died on the spot was 18, three later died bringing the
total casualty figures to 22.

On about 27thday of March,
2013, 18 citizens perished along Lokoja-Abuja Federal Road, in Kogi State,
North-central Nigeria. On 5th day
of April, 2013, media reports had it that 80 citizens and 36 citizens
respectively were killed along Benin-Lagos Dual Carriage Way in Ugbogu area,
near Ofosu in Ovia South-west LGA of Edo State, South-south Nigeria and Ihiala
in Ihiala LGA of Anambra State, Southeast Nigeria.

On 26th day of April, 2013, seven citizens were killed at
UNIZIK junction in Awka, Anambra State. The five fatal road accidents under
reference resulted in the death of a total of 163 citizens.

More of such
fatal accidents that occurred since January 2013 are not captured in this
public statement. The ethnic and gender identities of the said accident victims
show that 95% of them are from the Igbo-Southeast Nigeria, while 70% are
adult-males, mostly at their prime stages of life.

The major cause
of most of the said accidents is traced to the recklessness of the drivers of
the trailer trucks involved, driven by young Nigerian citizens of Hausa-Fulani
extraction. Some concerned citizens have described them as Boko
Haram Trailer Drivers, because of reckless abandon
with which they kill Igbo-Nigerian travelers in droves on Nigerian roads.

In Anambra State
alone, more than five trailer trucks manned by young Hausa-Fulani drivers have been
reported with high casualty figures since January 2013.

The figures
pertaining to the over 1000 citizen-deaths since January 2013 are arrived at by
our leadership from
de-classified Nigerian security forces’ sources and open sources such as
on-the-spot findings,
eyewitnesses’ accounts and media reports. In the Boko Haram associated
violence, at least 602 citizens were
murdered between January and April 2013. In other ethno-religious violence such
as Jos violence, over
200 citizens were murdered in the four months under review and in the area of
policepretrial killings
and associated others; at least 200 citizens were murdered in various police
custodies across the
country between January and April 2013.

Statistics:

1. Boko Haram
Violence: Some of the Boko Haram violence associated killings since January
2013 are the
following: On 23rd day
of January, 2013, it was reported that 12 residents of Jiddari-Polo and Laddan Ciki
areas of Maiduguri in Borno State, Northeast Nigeria were murdered by Boko Haram Islamist
insurgents. The deaths included one Alhaji Zakka, a director in the State
Ministry of Animal &
Fisheries.

2. On 22nd day
of February, 2013, five citizens’ playing card-games in Angwan Bagadaza
area of Gombe State, Northeast Nigeria were reportedly shot dead by Boko Haram insurgents.

3. On 20th day
of February, 2013, three persons died in bomb explosions reportedly
detonated by Boko Haram insurgents at the Post Office Roundabout in Maiduguri, Borno State.

4.
On 23rd day of February, 2013, several
people were reportedly killed in clashes between Nigerian
security forces and suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Maiduguri, Borno State.

5. On 3rd day of March, 2013, the JTF spokesman, Lt. Col.
Sagir Musa said it killed 20 Boko Haram insurgents
during the terror attacks the group launched at security barracks in Monguno area of Borno
State.

6. On 8th day
of March, 2013, the JTF through Lt. Col. Sagir Musa said it killed 52 Boko
Haram insurgents during its special operations in Bulabulin, Bayern Quarters
and Jajeri area of
Maiduguri, Borno State.

7. On 18th day
of March, 2013, between 180 and 200 people or more,
mostly Nigerian citizens of Igbo extraction were massacred at the New Road Luxury Bus
terminal in Sabon Gari area of Kano State, Northwest Nigeria during multiple
bomb explosions
detonated by Boko Haram insurgents. Nigerian authorities, as expected, claimed
that only 22 people
were killed in the bombings.

8.
On 16th and
17th day of April, 2013, 228 people
including women, children and elderly were massacred during
violent clashes between the Multi-national Joint Taskforce led by the Nigerian military and the
Boko Haram insurgents in the fishery and border town of Baga in Kukawa LGA of Borno State.
The Nigerian security forces went on killing and property destruction rampage
in retaliation for
the killing of a soldier by the insurgents. While the Nigerian security forces mangled the
casualty figures down to 36/37; claiming that 30 Boko Haram insurgents and six civilians were
killed, the local officials said they buried 185 bodies. Days after the
massacre, the Senator
representing Borno North in the Senate visited the area on a two-day fact
finding on 25th and 26th day
of April, 2013 and reported that he counted 228 bodies from Makabartar Waya graveyard-130
bodies, Makabartar Arewa graveyards-60 bodies and Budumari graveyard-30

bodies. Senator
Maina Maaji Lawan, who is a former governor of the State, also reported that six other dead
bodies were buried inside town and that up to 4000 houses (thatched homes) were torched. Similarly, the
satellite imagery obtained and analyzed by the US based Human Rights Watch, which contained
in its public statement of 1st day
of May, 2013 confirmed that a total of 2,275 houses mostly
residential houses, were destroyed by soldiers in Baga, while 125 were damaged. In the latest
public statement, dated 30th day
of April, 2013, signed by one Dr. Reuben Abati, on behalf of
Nigeria’s President, the government’s mangled casualty figure of 36 bodies was retained. The
statement further said that houses/properties destroyed
were far less than 1000. The Nigerian
military had earlier claimed that 30 houses were destroyed in the offensive operations. For
us in the Intersociety, Senator Maina’s casualty
accounts and the HRW’s property destruction
accounts are acceptable to us until credibly disproved.On 25th day of April, 2013, 25 people including five police
personnel were reportedly killed during clashes
between Nigerian security forces and Boko Haram insurgents in Gashua area in Bade LGA of Yobe
State.

9. On 25th day
of April, 2013, Saharareports reported that a serving Divisional Police
Officer and several other police personnel were killed during Boko Haram attacks that hit
Bama area of Borno State and on 28th day
of April, 2013, a JTF official, Lt. Col. A.G. Lakka
confirmed the death of 17 people including seven police personnel and ten insurgents in the
clashes. 10. On 27th day
of April, 2013, 25 people were reportedly killed during clashes between
Nigerian security forces and Boko Haram insurgents, when the latter attacked a police station
and a bank in northeastern area of Yobe State. 11. On 28th day of April, 2013, five people including
three police personnel were reported killed in Ringim area of Jigawa State, Northeast Nigeria
during Boko Haram attacks at a police station and a bank. The statistics above cited shows that
a total of 602 Nigerian citizens, comprising fewer security personnel and armedIslamist insurgents and other innocent civilians including women, children and elderly
have been murdered since
January 2013 in Boko Haram associated violence in northern parts of Nigeria. There may most
likely be some reported Boko Haram killings within the period under reference that are not
captured in this public statement. Some of the killings also go unreported. Government’s
casualty figures are usually mangled. Jos Killings: 1.On
25th day of January, 2013, the Nigerian military sources reported the death of

10. people in
Wadata area of Wase LGA of Plateau State. Local independent sources later said they found 22
bodies after the attacks launched by the Fulani Muslim invaders against their Tarok Christian
host. 2. On 22nd day
of February, 2013, 10 people were reported killed in Kogwom village in
Vom district, Jos South LGA of Plateau State in similar attacks. 3. On 27th day of March, 2013,
28 people were reported killed in Ganawuri district of Riyon LGA of Plateau State and less
than seven days earlier, 10 people were reported killed in Mavo village in Wase LGA of Plateau
State. 4. On 29th day
of March, 2013, nine people were reported killed in Ratas village of Fan
district in Barkin Ladi LGA of Plateau State. 5. An official report from the
North-central zone of the
National Emergency Management Agency in April 2013 reported that a total of 113 people
were killed in Wase and Bokkos areas of Plateau State alone in March 2013. According to
media reports which quoted its zonal coordinator, one Abdulsalam Mohammed, 71 people were
killed in Wase in the March 19, 2013 bloody clashes between the militant Fulani invaders and the
host communities, while 42 people were killed on March 29, 2013 in similar bloody attacks.
The killings above cited show that a total of 192 people have been murdered in Plateau State
since January, 2013. Again, not all reported killings in Plateau State within
the period under
review are captured in this public statement. Some of these killings also go unreported, while
casualty figures from official quarters are usually mangled. Police Pretrial
Murders: On 19th day
of January, 2013, up to 50 murdered bodies or more were found dumped and
floating on Ezu River, in Amansea, Awka, Anambra
State, Southeast Nigeria. Credible findings
by local and international reputable rights organizations have continued to show that they were
crime suspects and other detainees arrested and taken into custody by the Special Anti
Robbery Squad attached to Anambra State Police Command, which is headquartered at
Awkuzu, Anambra State. They were strongly believed to have been arrested non-violently
between October and December 2012 and killed extra-judicially by SARS.

Specifically,
nine members of the non-violent MASSOB movement, who were arrested on December 7, 2012
and taken into the SARS custody at Awkuzu have disappeared till date. They are strongly
believed to be among the 50 murdered bodies found in Ezu
River on 19th day
of January, 2013. In
early March, 2013, it was reported in the media and confirmed by local village authorities that
10 murdered bodies in various stages of decomposition, were found dumped at a burrow pit in
Mgbirichi Community of Ohaji Egbema LGA, Imo State, Southeast Nigeria. The 10murdered bodies
are believed to be victims of extra-judicial killings by security forces in Imo State since there
was no report of inter or intra communal violence in the area. At least, 200
Nigerian citizens including the over 60 citizens cited above, must have been
killed in police
custodies in Nigeria since January 2013. The murdered citizens must have died
from torture or
outright custody killings. In most, if not all the 6,651 police field
formations in Nigeria, torture and
pretrial killings are common features of extracting confessional statements or criminal
enrichment. Among SARS operatives especially in Anambra State, torture and
pretrial killings are
still raging like wild fires. Anambra SARS operatives have become deadlier
since their atrocious acts of
19th January, 2013, which the NPF
High Command and the Presidency seemed to have condoned
with impunity. The murder of Citizen Obinna Okoye-a student of OKOPOLY, by the Ekwulobia
SARS unit in Aguata LGA of Anambra State, is one out of many of such atrocious
killings still ongoing. He was arrested in January 2013 over an alleged
motorbike theft and tortured to
death in the second week of February 2013, after his father was asked to fetch the sum of
N300.000 for his son’s freedom and life.

Conclusion: It
is very clear that Nigeria has become a theatre of death especially since
January 2013. The gross
weakness of the Government of Nigeria has continued to embolden killer malicious

elements and
encourage militancy in Nigerian society. Our decision to retain the over 1000 casualty
figures is to let the world have an idea of the valueless nature of human lives
in Nigeria. If outside
the law is strictly applied here, then the number of those
killed in the country since January
2013 may most likely be in the neighborhood of 4000. This is because Nigerian citizens are
killed outside the law across the country on daily
basis. From the 6th day
of April, 2013 murder of 15
Nigeria police personnel by MEND on the creek of Ijaw South LGA of Bayelsa State to early
March 2013 gruesome murder of Commissioner of Police Chijioke Asiadu in Enugu, Enugu
State; the list is inexhaustible.

Nigerian security
challenges are threatening because the Presidency allows them and uses them to merchandize-a
sort of trading on citizens’ lives. Solutions to these challenges are not insurmountable.
Strong political will including being open to constructive criticisms and acceptance of
noble ideas are steadily required of Nigerian political authorities. Also
required are intelligence
and preventive based policing as well as effective and technologically advanced criminal investigation
and litigation management. Gun-culture or AK-47 security approach is no longer in vogue
in world security and crime management. The Baga military
blunder is one of such instances
and the height of unprofessionalism and primitive gun-culture approach. These are the
trade-marks of rogue States and undemocratic regimes. One of the strongest
external solutions to
Nigeria’s killing fields remains the invitation or intervention of the office
of the Chief Prosecutor for
the International Criminal Court. This is because none of the citizens’ killers
in Nigeria would
wish to be humiliated locally and internationally before being handcuffed to
the Netherlands to
face trials for crimes against humanity or war crimes.